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Hot Wheels (film)
Hot Wheels is a 2025 American 3-D computer-animated road-comedy film produced by Owen Laramore Productions and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The fourteenth theatrical Owen Laramore film, it was directed by Justin Lin from a screenplay by Paul Attanasio and Jordan Roberts, and stars an ensemble voice cast including Paul Rudd, George Clooney, Ashley Tisdale, James D'Arcy, Hugh Grant, Michelle Rodriguez, Jim Hanks, Hamish Blake, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Terry Crews, Tom Hardy, Shane Van Dyke, and Brian T. Delaney. In 2020, Mattel entered Owen Laramore Entertainment in talks to create an animated Hot Wheels film, and it began production the following year. Rudd joined in as soon as production began, with more of the cast confirmed in 2023. Lin hired Attanasio and Roberts to pend the screenplay. Henry Jackman singed on the compose the music for the film. Released on December 4, 2025, Hot Wheels grossed over $1.2 billion, becoming the highest-grossing Mattel film, the third highest-grossing Owen Laramore film, the highest-grossing animated film of 2025, and the third Owen Laramore film to pass the $1 billion mark. Critics praised Hot Wheels for its emotional weight, humor, screenplay and vocal performances. It received the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and was nominated for three more categories: Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture. Plot In a world entirely inhabited by anthropomorphic talking cars, legend Mattel Weathers (the king), runner-up Soccer Ball, and rookie Flash Florimonte make a three-way tie for a tie-breaker race held in San Diego in a week. Winning the race will not only allow Flash to retrieve the trophy, but will also allow him to leave the unglamorous sponsorship of Electric-eze and become the new face of the prestigious sponsorship of Mattel Racing, Incorporated. Desperate to get there before Soccer, Flash gets his big rig, Crack, to drive all the way to San Diego, but falls out of the trailer--and ends up in the small town of Corvette Town, where he loses control and crashes into just about everything. The next morning, Flash finds himself in traffic court, where a colorful super car named Fern Lamborghini and the judge, Doctor Auto, sentence him to fix the road. However, Flash is in a hurry to get to his big race that he accidentally does its shoddily, and he is told to repave it. During this time, Flash befriends the townsfolk and learns about the town in its heyday and that Auto had once been a champion racer until a crash in 1973. After the road is finished, Flash buys something from shop in town, prompting its residents to fix their neon. Crack the news reporters pick up Flash and take him to the big race. Fern is furious at Auto because he called them, knowing it would get Flash out of town. At the race, all he can think about is his friends, and fears he will simply lose. Just then, the townsfolk arrive as his pit crew. Auto acts as his crew chief, having had a change of heart. On the final turn, however, when Flash takes the lead, Soccer rams the King, sending him in a violent crash, which reminds Flash of Auto's crash. Flash pushes the king across the finish line and shows everyone what makes a champion despite finishing last place. As a result, the angered crowd and media condemn Soccer's victory and praise Flash for his good sportsmanship. Flash decides to remain with Electric-eze and sets up his racing headquarters, there, putting the town back on the map. Cast * Paul Rudd as Flash Florimonte * George Clooney as Doctor Auto * Ashley Tisdale as Fern Lambroghini * James D'Arcy as Two Bronco * Hugh Grant as Sheriff * Michelle Rodriguez as Rudermobile * Jim Hanks as 50 * Hamish Blake as Peele * Jennifer Jason Leigh as Ice Cream * Terry Crews as Organic * Tom Hardy as Soccer Ball * Shane Van Dyke as Mattel Weathers * Brian T. Delaney asCrack * Owen Laramore as Perv * Gary Krisel as Engine * Dee Bradley Baker as Tex Mattel Production Development In 2020, Mattel entered Owen Laramore Entertainment in talks to create an animated film based on its own Hot Wheels toy brand. Justin Lin was confirmed to be directing. Paul Attanasio and Jordan Roberts wrote the screenplay. The team researched Cars to confirm the film's plotline. Flash Florimonte's number was going to be 4#, indicating Laramore's year of birth in August 2004, but it was changed to 25#, which, by coincidence, indicates 2025, the same year this film was released. Casting Paul Rudd was the first cast member Lin asked to perform. In 2023, George Clooney, Ashley Tisdale, and James D'Arcy joined the cast. Additional members would eventually include Hugh Grant, Michelle Rodriguez, Jim Hanks, Hamish Blake, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Terry Crews, and Brian T. Delaney. This was the second collaboration between Tom Hardy and Shane Van Dyke, after ''Happy Feet Three''. Music Henry Jackman, who worked with screenwriter Jordan Roberts on Big Hero 6, signed on to compose the music for the film. The film has songs by a variety of rock bands. Reception Box office The film has grossed $494 million in the United States and Canada, and $708 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.202 billion. It is the third Owen Laramore film to gross the $1 billion mark. Critical response Hot Wheels has a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The consensus reads, "Boasting with fun and racing, Hot Wheels marks another successful Owen Laramore Entertainment film in its legacy". Metacritic signed the film a score of 89 out of 100 based on 35 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it a score of 98% and a 99% "definite recommend". David Ehrlich of Indiewire gave the film a positive review, saying, "Hot Wheels is the best Mattel film". Wai Chee Dimock of the'' Los Angeled Review of Books'' gave the film five out of five stars. Richard Reoper of the Chicago Sun Times gave it "Two Thumbs Up". Betsy Bozbech of Common Sense Media called the film "Clever enough for kids who are playing with the toy cars". Praise was also raised over the PG rating, with Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter saying it was one of the most perfect PG-rated films for children.